Hen nest



W. E. PETTY Dec. 19, 1944.

HEN NEST Filed Nov. 25, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet l W/ZZ/A M E. P577 y,

Dec. 19, 1944.

W. E. PE TTY HEN NEST 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 25, 1943 INVENTOR.

Patented Dec. 19, 1944 -UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HEN NEST William E. Petty, Altoona, Iowa Application November 25, 1943, Serial No. 511,688

4 Claims.

The invention has for an object to provide an improved construction in hens nests, and particularly an arrangement and construction whereby eggs laid in the nest will be gathered and ordered as laid, and out of reach of fowls which may subsequently come to the nest, as well as out of reach of the fowls laying the eggs, in each instance.

It is an important aim of the invention to present a construction of egg-receiving and -deliver ing device which may be utilized as an ordinary nest, so that eggs laid in the nest will be caused to move by gravity out of the nest, and to the ordering device forming a part of my invention.

It is a special aim of my invention to present a novel construction in an egg-receiving device operative to move eggs from a point of delivery, and retain them in individual cells, so that e s as laid will not strike against other eggs previously laid in the same nest.

It is also an important aim of the invention to provide a means for delivering eggs with a minimum liability of damage to the eggs.

A further important aim of the invention is to present a novel construction in a turntable, operating means therefor and escapement device adapted to be operated by eggs moving by gravity, as laid.

Additional objects, advantages and features of invention reside in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts involved in the embodiment of the invention, as will be more readily understood from the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a fragmentary top view of the nest.

Figure 4 is a cross section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a horizontal section on the line 5-5 ofFigure 4.

Figure 6 is a cross section on the line 6-6 of Figure 3.

Figure 7 is a section on the line 1-1 of Figure 4 illustrating the operative position of the escapement.

Figure 8 is a similar view illustrating the in operative position of the'e'scapement.

' toward the rear.

Figure '9 is a perspective view of the lever of the escapement device.

There is illustrated a foot frame 9 of spider form, comprising two metal strap sections l0, positioned at right angles to each other, their outer ends bent downwardly and extended horizontally to form foot pieces I l, so that the major portion of the frame is elevated a suitable distance when the article is set upon a horizontal surface. At their intersections, the two strap pieces are apertured, and receive therein the lower end of a stud or standard I3, journalled in a bearing 14, the lower end being threaded and receives a lock nut l5 whereby the strap maybe drawn against washers I6 which engage the lower end of the bearing. Upon the upper end of the standard 13 there is fixed adjustably and removably a nestcarrying block I! having a set screw l8 engaged therethrough and impinging against the standard 13, to hold the block I! in adjusted positions. Mounted upon the block l1, there is a nest l9, preferably formed of suitable woven wire nettin so as to afford a good shape for a nest, and having a sloping bottom 20 extending downwardly The rear of the nest 19 has an opening formed at its lowest part o'fa size suitable to permit the passage of an egg therethrough, rolling rear-wardly from the nest l 9 by the action of gravity, and from-this opening there is extended a chute 2| also formed of similar woven wire through which the egg may roll, as will be understood.

There is also shown a portion-of a conventional wooden nest boxing, having a rearwardly sloping bottom 22 over which the forward portion of the nest I9 is set, as shown; any suitable padding or nest material 23 maybe laid so that an egg may be readily dropped thereon withoutdamage, when laid'by a hen.

Below the block I! supporting the nest section, a turntable base hub 24 is mounted revolubly on the shaft l3, resting upon the upper end 7 of the bearing I4. Spaced outwardly of the roupon the hub 24.

at a common level there are twelve horizontal radial arms 21, of uniform length. Upon the extremities of these arms there are welded a horizontal annular :ring or rail .28., formed. of

heavy wire, and inwardly of this rail a second rail 29 concentric with the first is secured upon the upper sides of the arms permanently. The arms 28 and 29 are spaced apart at their outer ends sufliciently to permit an egg to pass therebetween with sufiicient clearance, and the space between the rails 28 and 29 is also suflicient to accommodate an egg with a suitable measure of clearance at each side. The chute 2| has its upper portion turned downward as at 39 and terminates immediately within the outer rail 28, so that eggs rolling down the chute 2| may drop through the open end of the chute and between the rails 28 and 29. Spaced below the rails 28 and 29 a suitable distance and concentric therewith, there are lower egg-supporting rails 3|, spaced much closer together than the rails 28 and 29 and both at the same level and parallel, so as to form a track below and midwa between the rails 28 and 29, upon which track eggs may rest after dropping from the chute between the upper rails. These rails 3| are supported by wire yokes 32, which may be welded or otherwise attached to the lower sides of alternate arms 21, and have downturned end portion terminating under respective rails 3| and welded to the latter so as to hold them properly spaced and in proper fixed relation to the rails 23 and 29 on the turntable. Each space between the rails 28 and 29 and between two arms 21 over and to the rails 3|, may be termed an e g Docket.

Upon one arm 33 of the foot frame formed by one of the straps I!) an escapement is mounted with a trip lever device positioned and constructed to be operated by eggs dropping from the chute 2|. This escapement comprises a. U- shaped frame 34 arranged with its arms extended horizontally, one above the other, and approximately radial with respect to the standard l3, its bight portion being located at the inner side. This frame 34 may be formed of sheet metal, its lower arm being riveted upon the adjacent arm 33, its bight extending verti-' cally and having a slot 35 therethrough. A lever 36 is pivotally mounted in the slot, extending in a generally horizontal direction. Its inner, shorter end has fixed thereon a weight 31, by which its outer end is yieldingl held in elevated position normally, the outer end being extended from the pivot to a point near the inner rail 29, and thence being bent downwardly and extended outwardly and upwardly, under and outwardly of the inner rail 3|. An egg-receiving plate 31 is fixed upon the extremity of the upstanding end, this plate being elongated circumferentially of the turntable device and being radially narrow, so that it may at times pass between the rails 3| when depressed by an egg. Spaced outwardly of the pivot or fulcrum of the lever a vertical reciprocable plunger 33 is engaged through suitable apertures formed in the upper and lower arms of the frame piece 34 and arm 33. This plunger is pivotally connected to the lever 36, so as to be reciprocated upon oscillation of the lever in a vertical direction. The upper end of the plunger 38 has a lateral projection 39 thereon forming a cam action when engaging the radial arms 21. In the set position of the device, the upper end of the plunger extends slightly above the level of the arms 27, so that under operation of the spring 26 the turntable device is rotated until one of the arms strikes against the plunger and is held thereagainst until downward movement of the plunger. In the operation of this device, the springzli is put under tension by depressing the plate 31, and rotating the turntable device in a clockwise direction as viewed from above, the plate then released and the turntable allowed to turn until one of the arms 21 engages against the side of the plunger 38.

Thereafter when a hen lays an egg in the nest I9 the egg will roll upon the padding 23 to the chute 2|, through which it will pass and be delivered from the lower end thereof between the rails 28 and 29. Here it will engage the receiving plate 31 substantially in the position .shown in Figure 2, and will depress the same to the position shown in Figure 8, so that the plunger 38 is lowered sufilciently to clear the engaged arm 21 and permit the latter to pass thereover, thus moving the egg from the plate 3! on to the track rails 3|. As the egg is moved from the plate 31, the latter quickly rises again under operation of the weight 31, and the plunger 38 is returned to elevated position in advance of the next following arm 27, so that after the' egg is moved from under the chute 2| the succeeding arm 2'! engages the plunger and stops the turntable in position to receive another egg when delivered from the chute 2|. In this way, eggs as laid are removed from the nest to the turntable and moved by the latter segregated in pockets of the turntable distant from the nest, and arranged relatively in the order of delivery to the turntable. Egg gatherers may then reach the eggs readily for removal to a dating machine or for other treatment, or disposal.

While I have described my invention with particularity in the best construction thereof at this time known to me, it will nevertheless be under stood that this is purely exemplary, and that various modifications in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts, substitution of materials and substitution of mechanical equivalents may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention except as more particularly set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A turntable device for gathering eggs comprising means to deliver eggs from a nest, a turntable including an operating means, said turntable having two concentric egg supporting rails arranged to receive eggs from said delivery means, said turntable including a plurality of radial arms spaced to correspond to units of space for individual eggs on the turntable and an escapement device comprising a .vertically movable plunger having a stationary mounting and adapted to engage one of said radial arms to oppose movement thereof by said operating means, a. lever having a fixed pivotal mounting inwardly of said plunger and extended out of its pivot from the axis of the turntable, and pivotally connected to said plunger, said lever being extended beyond the plunger outwardly and upwardly between said rails, and having an eggreceiving plate thereon positioned beneath said egg-delivering means, and yielding means to hold said lever with the receiving plate in elevated position, said plate being positioned medially between said rails.

2. An egg ordering device consisting of means to deliver eggs singly, a turntable and means for rotating the same, said turntable having concentrically arranged individual egg pockets thereon positioned to move to and beyond receiving relation to the egg delivering means under rotation of the turntable, said pockets having a continuous channel extending through their bottom parts, an escapement operatively associated with the turntable including stop members on the turntable at intervals corresponding to the spacing of said pockets and a lever having a fixed pivot and a terminal part extended upwardly through said channel, an egg-receiving and escapement operating plate thereon above the channel and alined therewith, and yielding means to hold the lever in initial receiving position.

3. A turntable for the purpose described comprising an axial support, a hub revoluble thereon having a plurality of radial arms, two concentric egg supporting rails carried by the arms and spaced therebelow having a clearway therebetween throughout the circumference of the turntable, yielding means to rotate the turntable, and an escapement comprising a vertically reciprocable plunger having a fixed mounting adapted to engage before said arms successively, means to hold it in engaging position yieldably, and an operating lever pivotallyconnected thereto and having a fixed fulcrum pivot and having an arm extended upwardly between said rails, and having an egg receiving part thereon depressible by an egg delivered thereon.

4. A receiver of the character indicated consisting of means to deliver articles in succession, a turntable and means for rotating the latter, said turntable having a concentrically arranged article receiving portion positioned to move in receiving relation to said delivering means under rotation of the turntable, said article receiving portion having a continuous clearway therebeside, and having stop members at intervals corresponding to the size of the articles to be delivered to the turntable, a detent device associated operatively with the stop means to hold it yieldingly in engaged position, and means to release the detent including a trip member recipe rocable across said clearway and normally at an initial position in the path of articles delivered from said delivering means when the detent is in engaging position, whereby movement of an article onto the turntable will move the detent to release position, and whereby the detent will engage the succeeding stop member of the turntable, and the trip member will be returned to normal initial position.

WILLIAM E. PETTY. 

